Car Hire in Sagres,
Algarve
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Sagres Information

Sagres
- HistoryThis
small town is close to the most south western point of
Europe known as Cape St. Vincent. The legend of the martyr
Saint Vincent is that his relics were mysteriously
transported by ravens from the Holy Land to the Cape and
subsequently guarded by them. In 1173 the ravens reputedly
then moved the relics to Lisbon where they remain to this
day. However, it much more likely that they were moved to
Lisbon upon the orders of Dom Afonso Henrique. Several naval
engagements took place off the Cape; Admiral Tourville
defeated Sir George Rooke in 1693; Admiral Rodney defeated
the Spanish in 1780; Admiral Jervis with Nelson defeated the
Spanish fleet in 1797. As Sagres is located on the south
side of the Cape its natural protection from the western
winds and rough seas lent itself to the building by Prince
Henry the Navigator (Dom Afonso Henrique), of a fort in
which to house his school devoted to navigation and
exploration but he lived mainly in nearby Lagos. He is also
reputed to have created a shipbuilding yard in the small
natural harbour.

From 1419 until 1460 he devoted his time and the revenues of
the Order of Christ into this project. Money was spent
liberally in building the vessels known as the “Caravela”
which was in time to prove so suitable for exploration. In
1427 Diogo da Silva first discovered the Azores Islands.
Until 1434 no sailor was known to have sailed further south
than the Cape Bojador on the west side of Africa. In this
same year, Gil Eanes from Lagos, conquered the Cape but it
was not until 1488 that Bartolomeu Dias succeeded in
rounding the Cape of Good Hope. A home of the Prince was
likely to have been at the nearby Cape St. Vincent close to
the ruins of a 16th Century Monastery. Unfortunately, the
famous English captain and sometimes pirate, Francis Drake
has recorded in his logbook that his men completely sacked
this house in 1597.

Sagres
- Description

There
is very little left from an historical point of view as the
only items left from his original building is the small
chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça and reputably the giant
pebble wind compass, Rosa dos Ventos. The present walls
surrounding the area are the remains of a 17th Century fort.
At the nearby Cape St Vincent is an impressive lighthouse
that can normally be visited. This lighthouse has provided
the guiding beam that safely directs the hundreds of ships
that pass the Cape every year from the inevitable
destruction that would otherwise occur. The surrounding
cliffs present a very dramatic sight with their impressive
towering sheer height and at most times being beaten by the
strength of the vast Atlantic Ocean.

The local restaurants are renowned for their fish and its
variety and freshness and it is common to see the local
fishermen wedged in dramatic perches on the cliff face with
the thundering sea many scores of feet below. Unfortunately,
every year the lives of some of these enthusiastic fishermen
are taken, usually by falling. It is interesting to note
that the area of Sagres enjoys its own mini-climate. There
is very little vegetation, the ground being mainly rock with
barely any soil, but in the area to the north of the town 25
different varieties of wild orchids have been found.

Sagres
- Nearby LocationsThe
nearest town is Vila do Bispo that acts as the
administrative centre for the area and also houses a few
good fish restaurants. In the 8th Century about one
kilometre to the southwest of this town was the seat of a
religious Order known as the Igreja de Corvo. Founded by
Christians from Valencia seeking refuge from the persecution
of the Spanish ruler Abderramão I, all visual traces have
been removed in the course of time. However, in the
immediate vicinity are over 250 “megaliths” and other signs
of ancient civilization dating back thousands of years.

The area was recorded by the Moors as being very rich and
providing hospitality to all travellers regardless of their
faith. From Sagres the traveller can either go north or back
to the east. Along the south coast just to the east is the
superb open beach of Martinhal that is popular with
windsurfers. Further east are the small and unspoilt beaches
of Ingrina and Zavial, whilst further on is the more
developed beach of Salema. Just to the east of Vila do Bispo
near the small village of Raposeira is the modest 13th
Century Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, reputed to
have been used often by Dom Afonso Henrique in his religious
devotion.

The beaches immediately to the north of the Cape are more
exposed to the winds and rollers of the Atlantic with quite
dangerous offshore currents. Further to the north of Vila da
Bispo is the open sandy beach of Bordeira. About two-thirds
of the journey north to this beach is a turning left to the
small village of Pedralva. The village is now nearly
completely unoccupied but it shows to the traveller a
picture of what the Algarve looked like prior to the
invasion of tourism and how life was once very demanding.